The mastermind behind the hit TV series ‘Empire’ has shared his thoughts on why African-American audiences are often unreceptive to African-American characters penned by non African-Americans.
Will you agree with what Lee Daniels has to say?
Find out below…
Daniels shared his thoughts during The Hollywood Runner’s Drama Showrunner Roundtable.
He declared:
Nothing is more beautiful now than to go into this room, to the writers room of Empire. I don’t know what gives me more pleasure: watching my story unfold or going in and watching a roomful of black people talking for me. Black people hate white people writing for black people. It’s so offensive.
He went on to add:
What is important is that people of colour know that they are wanted.
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I agree they don’t know our story. We don’t need a bunch of Rachels writing our story.
Omg stfu with that. Let a WHITE person say “we don’t want black people writing for us” and Yall blow sh*t outta of the water. Why do blacks have to be ssssooooo hypocritical???
Because they don’t see skin color unless it benefits them.
WELL we are not writing their story besides for greys anatomy ir any spike lee movie dealing with race. Anyways, there is no culture in being white as it is the default. But there is a culture behind black, Hispanic, Italian, Jewish, Irish etc. we don’t write those stories if we were to write a “white story”. There is no STORY in being white in America about the life of a typical white person compared to a subgroup story of any race or nationality.
Lee Daniels and all these other black men who love that white peen to the end of time are f****** annoying. Like, I understand the universe (or God, whoever you believe) made one race. The human race. But there’s also a fine line between loving the skin you’re in and assimilating. I remember once I was on jackd (don’t judge me rofl) and there was this black guy. And on his account , it was like “I only like white men. If you’re black or Latino, don’t message me” needless to say, I messaged him just to ask why he feels that way, and he just gave a one word answer like “because” smh. It’s sad because the media brainwashes blacks into believing they are worthless, and it starts to eat at your brain after a while. Go on YouTube. All you see is niggger, nygger, nygger under videos with black people. This artist named Johnny Rebel is an artist who has songs such as “Quit Your Bitchin’ Nygger” and if you read the comments, it makes you wanna jump off a cliff (if you’re black). Sometimes I ask “what’s the fvcking point of being alive if I’m hated because of my skin”. Then the black people who are all like “TeamLightSkin, etc”. It’s disheartening. I’m not light skin or dark skinned. I’m brown (Like Will Smith or Columbus Short) and even black guys have been like “You’re cute for a dark skin”. That shyt crushed me. It’s like you freaking can’t win if you’re black.
Sorry for the rant, but I’m just over America and the way things work here. The thought of reincarnation scares the hell out of me because I NEVER want to come back to earth when it’s all over. Send me to Pluto for all I care, but not earth!!!!
What I can say to you is, LOVE YOURSELF no matter what, KNOW YOURSELF WORTH, and DON’T live your life according to what people think of you. Those same people are pathetic self hating individuals with none of the above.
Live your life bro..we’re all beautiful.
Thank you JJ. It’s hard but I have hope my soul needs this experience as a black person for my next spiritual journey.
Thank you JJ. It’s hard but I have hope my soul needs this experience as a black man for my next spiritual journey.
Yes, that light skin Vs dark skin crap is so dead. I can’t stand it. My Barber is light skin and he is #TEAMlightSkin whether he will admit it or not. It isn’t a day I don’t go in there and hear him talking about how “they” have it hard and his wife is light skin too, etc. Smh. I understand the whole story of “passing” etc but come on now, at the end of the day, we are African American no matter how you flip it. I know some light skin people know that already but “some” still think they’re superior to other shades lol.
Sidenote and Joke: I know one dude who saw a light skin chick and she wasn’t the best looking woman. He gone say WOW! I’ve never seen a ugly light skin female!
Smh????!!!!!????!?!?!?!
#GetItTogether
So I agree with you but I’m also siding with Lee too.
Not sure if it’s still done but remember how they’d bring on African American sitcoms and they take them off the air once they saw the “white” show ratings go up? Hence “Everybody Hates Raymond” “The Game” and a couple other black shows on the “WB” too.
Exactly! Its annoying af. Humans will never get it together
when black people say they don’t date other black people it’s crazy. If you couldn’t date another black person, how do you see yourself date-able?
I think there’s a big ressentiment in the African American community towards white people, among all the Sub-saharan Africans who were imported in the Americas, they are the ones who were mentally abused the most, people of Sub-Saharan African descent in other countries are not like African Americans, i don’t know if it is because the US is really that bad or if the others countries are better.
“Resentment” is an interesting way to put it. Resentment is like a grudge or something. This ain’t no damn grudge African Americans have towards white American. We dislike them because we understand the full scope of what happen to us. Like my mother told me “I don’t hate all white people but if my brother does then I understand” because they’ve only treated us like dirt in this hellish country
Oh girl shut the hell up. Blacks scream victim when it’s convenient so they don’t have to take RESPONSIBILITY for their own actions as a community. YES, there is racism towards blacks, just like with asians, hispanics, whites, every d*mn body. Look at the f*ckin music, movies and “role models” blacks look up to and aspire to be like. Absolute bullish*t. Instead of WANTING an education, Shameeka and DeQuan want to be rappers and video models. Is that a white persons fault? Take responsibility and stop being lazy. And YES, every situation is different but that’s why you CARRY yourself with respect, BE respectful towards others and WORK HARD to better your life!
Well, he’s right. Season 1 of A Different World, anyone?
In my mind the first season doesn’t exist lol
I don’t know…the secret son doesn’t sound boss to me, secret children storylines have been in every tv drama so at this point it is like cliche and besides didn’t they already do the secret daughter?
Lol Uuh, don’t say that. Knowing story and them actually living it totally different. Sure I’ll admit, I don’t know every single book of African American lit that’s come or came out. But I sure can relate because way not be in shackles physically but mentally we are and I don’t give a f*** what nobody say.
“We may not be”
Lee does have a point. It makes sense. Someone mentioned on this post about stereotypes in African Americans, well that’s why we have diversity in our AA writers. I loved “The Game’s” first “4” season’s. Season 5 is debatable cuz they slowly went extremely left with the stereotypes. But now, I really don’t watch it cuz it reminds me of a big spoof. I’ll catch up once all seasons hit hulu.
Now “Best Man Holiday” if you haven’t seen it please go see! That movie was far from a stereotypical Tyler perry movie. I forget that writers name but he made a good portrayal of AA’s on a broader standpoint. The best way for me to describe that movie is “must see”.
“I don’t know why white folks pay me to tell them about Black folks. I’m lightskin” — Quentin
Yesss The Best Man Holiday has some clever writing. Can’t wait to see The Best Man Wedding, Quentin will be off the chain. Terrence Howard is a helluva actor.
Yes!!! Me2!
I’m kind of confused though. Lee, didn’t you create this show with a white guy who’s an executive producer and wrote the pilot, as well as oversees the writing of every episode? The same white guy who wrote THE BUTLER that you directed?
Well he’s right.
Even white people wouldn’t like shows where black people talk and act “white”.
Despite the success, Empire has to stay real, and that won’t be easy now that everybody wants a piece of that cookie.
It amazes me how black folks are always dimming “stereotypical” everything portrayed on TV or movies when in fact those traits are where the money is.
White folks love Black culture, as long as Black folks used words they can use too (so no N-word). That’s the reason why Papa Pope and Cookie Lyon are so popular. They are loud, unfiltered,can read you to filth then show you some love.
So yes let the black writers do the job, especially for Jamal and Hakeem, because young black viewers love them and watch the show for them. By the minute they would not sound relatable, the young audience is out.
Btw, we need Trai Byers in more movies, he may not be a singer or a rapper, but lawd he can act his a$$ off!
There may be some White people who might appear to know more about the Black culture than actual Black people, yes, but only due to research – or looking from the outside in. There are no White people who know more about actually being Black than Black people themselves. Just saying.
And that’s all I was saying. I agree.
That’s true but then what do we do? Not have Black Characters into films written by White People? It’s absurd.
That’s true but then what do we do? Not have Black Characters into films written by White People? It’s absurd.
Isn’t lee daniels gay and in love with that white d***?
Think of black characters on soap operas. Nuff said
What a bunch of bull5hit. If a White director so much as dared say what Lee Daniels is saying he and his career would be absolutely destroyed in the media. Typical Black hypocrisy.
Sick of black movies.They’re all the same. I pass movies with the words man,brother,mad woman,sister. Black movies are always full of drama.
He sound ridiculous for saying that b******* mess
Oh for f*ck sake! Really Lee? Really?? Speaking for all black people now? Well if that’s the case then they should stop complaining when they aren’t nominated come Oscar time…What should we do about this dilema? As white writers out number black writers? Have white writers not include any Black Characters in their films and Vice Versa?? Get the F*ck out. Lost a lot of respect.